Ontario court papers costly.

• Author: Swartz, Nikki
• Position: UP FRONT: News, Trends & Analysis

A report from Ontario-based newspaper Northern Life said Ontario's fees for accessing public court files are the most costly in Canada, and--according to the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ)--these high fees are preventing Canadian journalists from accessing the information they need to do their jobs. Ontario charges $32 to view a single court file--and requires an additional $30 if the file has to be retrieved from outside the court building. It also charges $2 per page to copy court documents.

The CAJ said the fees in other provinces are much lower. Accessing a court file is $10 in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick, $8 or less in...